Apprentice
by Ziur
Summary: The sorceress has been defeated and Squall and company run the garden. Everthing goes fine until an arrogant student shows up again after leaving for a year. Who is he? Why Seifer's apprentice of course.
1. Back to Garden

Yeah, yeah. I know. I haven't even put up many chapters in my .Hack fanfic, but if I don't write this now I'll forget it. :p Anyway, if you haven't noticed yet I use the same names for most of my characters. It's almost impossible for me to create original ones. Well, hope you enjoy it.

Disclaimer: I WISH I owned Final Fantasy 8…but I don't. Squaresoft does. Cough cough

Sorry, SquareENIX. (Just why?).

Chapter 1

The young man's long silver coat blew slightly in the wind as the breeze picked up around him. He walked up casually to the front of Balamb garden, picking up a few looks as he made his way there. Some faces were curious, some confused, and the occasional person was about to ask him something but then backed down. He expected this, leaving for a year will do that. Some remember you, and to others you're just a faint shadow in the back. Now, he was getting stares but he needed to go find the headmaster. His sensei told him he was ready for the SeeD exam and he thought so as well. Whether or not the headmaster would except him or not was a different story. Then again, headmaster Cid was supposedly a pretty lenient man. He reached the gate and the guard was sleeping. Come to think of it, he couldn't remember a time he was awake unless you talked to him. If he wanted to he could jump over the gate but he still had his student card and decided to use that instead. He slipped it into the gate and it slowly came to life. Obviously, people don't really use it and now he felt stupid that he was. The small screen beside the slot lighted up.

Student ID……705856

Student name…Ziur –ERROR-

Class/Rank……3rd Year Trainee

……Access Granted……

Amazing, he was still in the records. He assumed he would have been kicked out after he left. The small gate opened for him and he retrieved his student card before walking on. With the exception of a few minor repairs the garden hadn't really changed at all. Still the same home he left behind a year ago. After crossing the threshold of the front entrance he made his way to the elevator. The elevator came down and a pair of female trainees came out talking about cards. They stopped once they saw him and quickly walked out. Was he really that intimidating? He didn't think so but apparently he was. Ziur walked on and pressed the button for the third floor. The doors closed slowly and the elevator made its way up.

The doors reopened and he made his way through the double doors. The inside office was elegant and had a new secretary to the side. Opposite of her was another desk. This one was vacant and he could assume it belonged to headmaster Cid. Ziur walked over to the secretary and began to ask her about Cid. "Excuse me," he said in a more or less calm voice, "Is headmaster Cid in? I'm looking to register for the SeeD exam." The secretary, who was a stern blond with sharp eyes, looked up at him to reply. "I'm sorry? Headmaster Cid?" "Yes. Where may I find him?" Ziur asked. "Headmast- I'm sorry. Mr. Cid is no longer the headmaster here. He gave up his position about three months ago right after the last SeeD exam." She replied coolly. "Oh, then who is in charge now?" "That would be headmaster Leonhart. He's currently up in Transportation." "Transportation? I've never heard of that department. Where is it?" "Right up that lift." The blond motioned her head to a platform behind Ziur. It was between the two desks but farther back. "Alright, thank you." He turned and began to walk towards the platform when the blond called him back. "I'm sorry, but you need an appointment before you can see him. He's been very busy since he became headmaster and he can't just have students barging in on him." She took a look at Ziur's coat and the weapon on his back before speaking again. "That trench coat…I've seen it before. That gunblade looks familiar too. Who are you? What your ID number?" Ziur examined the platform out of the corner of his eye and saw a switch. He backed up to the platform as the blond stood up. "Sorry, but I really need to speak with the headmaster. Thanks anyway Ms…" He took a glance at her name tag. "…Ms. Trepe." She ran towards him but he had already pressed the switch the platform was already on its way up.

The rising platform stopped at the very top. Ziur stepped off onto a slightly larger platform with two long consoles and a large fin-like object in between them. Two SeeDs, about the same age, were crouched at the base of the fin and looked to be doing maintenance on it. "OW! Damn it! Pass me a screwdriver, please. Thanks, Nida." Said the first SeeD as the other, presumably Nida, gave him the tool he requested.

Ziur took a step towards them and the smaller platform he was on went back down. _Dammit, that stupid woman is coming up. I'll have to talk fast. _"Umm…excuse me." The two SeeDs turned to face Ziur as he did the garden salute. "Why are you up here? This is restricted area." said the first SeeD. "Yes, I am aware of that but I am searching for the headmaster. I would like to ask for a special request." Ziur replied. The SeeD motioned for Ziur to be at ease before turning to Nida "Keep working, I'll take care of him really quickly." Nida nodded and went back to work. The SeeD turned his attention back to Ziur and spoke again "I'm the headmaster and I can't just help anyone at anytime unless it's an emergency. So if that's not the case then you'll have to make an appointment with instructor Trepe. Wait, where is she? How did you get up here?" Ziur wore a look of surprise as he took in that _this _man was the headmaster. He was so young! He didn't even look as old as Ziur's sensei! He sure didn't look like a headmaster. "Umm…you're headmaster Leonhart?" Ziur inquired. "Yes. Now what is it that you want to ask? Make it quick." His voice was cold and to the point. Ziur didn't feel very welcome but then again he did just barge in. "I felt I had to ask you soon seeing as the SeeD field exam will start this weekend…I want to take part in the exam." Ziur replied as calm as he could. The headmaster put the palm of his hand to his face and Ziur could tell he was annoyed. The headmaster gave a sigh before answering "You don't need my permission to take part in the SeeD field exam. If you've met all requirements then you can sign up with your instructor." "I don't have an instructor here." "Hmm? Then send a notice to your last garden and ask them." "This is the only garden I've ever been to." "Alright, I'll bite. What's your story?" the headmaster leaned against one of the consoles and was ready to listen to this student's long, sad story. Ziur, on the other hand, didn't have one; his was pretty strait forward so he told the headmaster trying to sound as professional as he could. "About a year ago, an instructor I had said I would never become a SeeD if I performed the way I was. So, I left and found a teacher. For the last year I've been training with him and he believes I am ready to become a SeeD so he sent me back here. I may not have the garden training but I think I could still pass. That's all." The headmaster looked at him for a while deciding his fate. Ziur heard the hum of the platform coming back up and he knew that the secretary was on her way up to take him away. "No, you can't. Not until you've met all the requirements to participate. As for leaving the garden, that means you're no longer a SeeD trainee either. You'll have to either rejoin and go back to the first rank or quit altogether." The headmaster's voice was firm and final. The secretary reached the top and looked at Ziur with those piercing eyes of hers. "Instructor Trepe, please excuse this stude- this person from the premises. Or if he would like, help him re-register to attend the garden." ordered the headmaster.

"Yes, sir. Right away." Replied the secretary as she looked back at Ziur. "As for you, next time you will wait or be kicked out. Technically, you are no longer a student here." Although Ziur was getting pretty pissed at this point he tried to remain cool and decided to try and corner them instead. The worst that could happen is him getting kicked out. "I could go with you right now but I AM still a student here." "Actually, after the first month of being absent without being on assignment your student ID is taken off the list." Ms. Trepe corrected. "Well, then someone didn't do a very good job then." Ziur pulled out his ID card and held it in front of him. "If I wasn't registered then this wouldn't have worked at the front gate but it did. That means I'm still on the list and I'm still a student." argued Ziur. The headmaster gave a sigh and spoke to Ziur once more "Look, I understand you want to become a SeeD but I can't just let some random student who hasn't been here for a year to just join. We have procedures and you'll have to follow them just like any other student. Now, go back down and register." The headmaster turned back to help Nida again. "Let's go." commanded Ms. Trepe. "No! I came to take the exam because I am ready to do so! One chance is all I ask. If I fail I'll never come back but I ask that you at least give me a single chance!" yelled Ziur. The headmaster got up again and turned to Ziur with an even more serious face than he already had "You have been told what you have to do. My decision is final. If you don't leave now voluntarily then you will be removed by force." Ziur stared at him for a few moments letting the anger that was welling up inside him try and fade. It wasn't working. _This isn't worth it…not in the least bit… _"This isn't worth it at all!" he suddenly blurted out "Sensei was right! None of you can notice potential in front of you!" he turned and walked on to the platform. The headmaster saw Ziur's back for the first time and saw a strangely familiar weapon on his back. Before Ziur pressed the switch to go back down the headmaster spoke "Wait…that's a gunblade…where did you get that?" Ziur didn't look back but he gave an answer anyway "My sensei gave it to me. He said that it would prove more useful to me than any weapon this garden could provide. He told me that aside from some cheap-ass gunblade his rival here has, some lion thing, that it would be the best weapon here…for the best student." The headmaster stood for a second, thinking. The blond looked at him quizzically before speaking "Should I take him away now?" "No. I'll humor him." the headmaster responded "Boy, what's your name again? Oh, and ID number." he asked. Ziur turned his head slightly back so that only one of his eyes could see the headmaster "My name's Ziur. ID number 705856. Why?" "Alright. Instructor Trepe, sign that number up for this weekend's SeeD exam. I want…Ziur…to take part in it." he ordered. "Wait? What?" responded the secretary with her voice raised slightly higher. "You heard me. Sign him up and call for someone to show him to a temporary dorm room." "You can't be serious? What happened to procedure? We can't just let him do whatever he wants?" "He's not. He's only allowed to take part in the exam. He may use the facility for his needs but is not allowed to participate in other activities. Also, as long as he's going to take the exam he cannot leave the garden until then. Understood?" he finished. "Fine. Whatever." Ziur responded knowing that the headmaster was also referring to him in that last part. "But Squall! He can't ju-" "Enough, Quistis" the headmaster interrupted "Those are my orders. Now please send for an escort." "I'll just wait down there." Ziur said as the platform came to life again and took him back down. Quistis glared at Squall making him feel uneasy. Her tone had lightened but not by much "So, why exactly are you humoring this student, Squall?" she inquired. He replied casually as if it were an everyday thing "I'm not humoring him at all. I'm humoring his teacher. Seifer always did think he was good enough to be a SeeD." The platform came back and Quistis stood on it "Yes, but it's that same attitude that made sure he never did. Maybe this is how he's trying to find out?" she turned and said one last thing behind her back "Oh, and Squall. You're not in my class anymore so you really don't have to call me 'intsructor'." "Force of habit." Squall replied. With that she pressed the switch and was gone. "Or maybe he's trying to give that kid a chance he never got…" Squall said to no one in particular. He turned back to Nida, who was working furiously with the fin, and crouched down to help again.

End of Chapter 1

Ok, so that last part was a way too big paragraph of death. Sue me. The point is I like it and I'm horrible at telling where I should start a new paragraph. Review if you want and I hope you liked it. Oh and leave suggestions too.


	2. The fall of Ziur

Shortly afterwards, the young boy who trained under Seifer foolishly fell in love with a girl. The idea of him falling in love wasn't foolish but the way he handled the situation was. In time he ruined his life from this fruitless dream and was left with nothing but sorrow in his heart. Broken and depressed, he decided that he had nothing left and did what he felt was right for him. As a fan and follower of the samurai art, Bushido, he knew that there was only one way to dispatch his dishonorable life. Seppuku, the ritual act of suicide to regain one's lost honor, was his goal now. He dressed himself in the proper robes and took his position. Though, without a kaishaku he would have to suffer the long and painful death. And so he did, without so much as flinching, for his honor.

Yeah, it's sad. Boo hoo. I've been having problems in my life and I haven't had time to write this. Even when I do, it's been so long that I've lost the inspiration that I had when I started it. As such, I still felt I had to finish it even if it wasn't a very happy ending. I've failed you all as an author and I'm sorry but I cannot continue this.


End file.
